Clifton vs Elphinstone
In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Clifton, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Clifton tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and older residents.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Clifton
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (6 vs 0)
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (44% vs 35%)
- But Elphinstone carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Elphinstone
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 28%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Elphinstone
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 28%)
- has cheaper rent ($225/wk vs $245/wk)
- But Clifton has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Clifton
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (44/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (131 min vs 140 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (158.2 km vs 164.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Clifton
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (44/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 22%)
- But Elphinstone carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Clifton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.3% vs -6.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Clifton and Elphinstone drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Clifton has more residents (1,490 vs 60); Elphinstone has higher household incomes ($93,132 vs $45,604).
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,490 +96% vs other | 60 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +2.3% | -6.2% |
| Median age | 49 | 50 |
| Median household income | $45,604/yr | $93,132/yr +104% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $245/wk +8% vs other | $225/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.0%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $505,000 | — |
| Median unit price | $355,000 | — |
| Median land price | $192,500 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 40 days from 16 sales | — |
Development activity
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 7% of QLD | Higher than 66% of QLD |
| Schools | Higher than 97% of QLD | — |
| Walkability | Higher than 85% of QLD | Higher than 57% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 8% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 76% of QLD | Higher than 46% of QLD |
Liveability
Clifton is more walkable (44 vs 0).
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 56/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Clifton carries more crime risk (51 vs 33).
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Low 33/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 2 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 3 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 2 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Clifton
- Clifton State High School Government · Secondary above peers
- St Francis De Sales School Catholic · Primary above peers
- Clifton State School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Elphinstone
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 6 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Elphinstone sits further from the CBD (164.9 km vs 158.2 km).
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 44/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 158.2 km | 164.9 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 131 min | 140 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4361 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 66 postcode 4361 same for both | |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.8%).
Setting
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 458 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 480 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 65/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 44% 834 premises | 0% 24 premises |
Climate
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 643 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Clifton | Elphinstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Clifton
Elphinstone
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.